Every year has its own buzzword. One of the buzzwords being bandied about 24/7 this year is entitlements. In terms of the federal government budget, the three entitlements most talked about are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
If you're only paying half attention, you must know that, when most politicians and pundits use the word entitlements, they define it differently than what we find in any standard dictionary of the American language. When the powers that be define it, the word "gift" somehow worms its way into the meaning.
The word "gift" is inaccurate in two of the three cases, in one sense, and inaccurate in all three cases in another sense. By definition, an entitlement is "An individual's right to receive a value or benefit provided by law." In the case of both Social Security and Medicare, we directly PAY for this right. In the case of Medicaid, we indirectly PAY for this right.
Almost everyone who earns $106,000 per year or less pays into the Social Security Fund. These same people pay into the Medicare Fund as well and almost everyone pays some level of federal taxes (accept for the very poor AND the very rich) which is what funds Medicaid.
Consequently, most of the time when an individual receives benefits from one of these three programs, the benefit constitutes money that the individual previously paid in. It I give you $1,000 to hold for me and you return it to me in $10 weekly increments, I am not receiving a gift from you! I am receiving my own money back.
Please keep this in mind as you hear how the people in Washington want to siphon off more of the money you've paid in -- for incessant war and tax breaks for the rich -- and how they don't want to give it back to you when you need it the most.
What they are trying to do and, most likely, will succeed in doing could rightfully be defined as theft -- legalized theft.
If you're only paying half attention, you must know that, when most politicians and pundits use the word entitlements, they define it differently than what we find in any standard dictionary of the American language. When the powers that be define it, the word "gift" somehow worms its way into the meaning.
The word "gift" is inaccurate in two of the three cases, in one sense, and inaccurate in all three cases in another sense. By definition, an entitlement is "An individual's right to receive a value or benefit provided by law." In the case of both Social Security and Medicare, we directly PAY for this right. In the case of Medicaid, we indirectly PAY for this right.
Almost everyone who earns $106,000 per year or less pays into the Social Security Fund. These same people pay into the Medicare Fund as well and almost everyone pays some level of federal taxes (accept for the very poor AND the very rich) which is what funds Medicaid.
Consequently, most of the time when an individual receives benefits from one of these three programs, the benefit constitutes money that the individual previously paid in. It I give you $1,000 to hold for me and you return it to me in $10 weekly increments, I am not receiving a gift from you! I am receiving my own money back.
Please keep this in mind as you hear how the people in Washington want to siphon off more of the money you've paid in -- for incessant war and tax breaks for the rich -- and how they don't want to give it back to you when you need it the most.
What they are trying to do and, most likely, will succeed in doing could rightfully be defined as theft -- legalized theft.
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